Surgical threaded nail and method of applying same



Jan. 1942. LQNGFELLQW 2,270,1 88

INVENTOR .1 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 13, 1942 SURGICAL THREADED NAIL AND METHOD OF APPLYING SAME Earl E. Longfellow, Warsaw, Ind., assignor to Harry Herschel Leiter, Warsaw, Ind.

Application July 12, 1940, Serial No. 345,188

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in surgical threaded nails and method for treatment of fracture of the neck of the femur.

An object of the invention is to provide nails adapted to be positioned in the proximal end of a fractured femur bone to hold the fragments thereof in proper apposition without necessity of anchorage means for the nails other than the nails themselves after being applied.

Another object of the invention is to afford nails of simple form that are easily established in place and, after convalescence, are readily removable.

And a further object of the invention is to so form the nails and apply them in such manner that they will tend to remain in the particular positions where placed in the bone without movement relative thereto until intentionally withdrawn.

Other objects and advantages of the invention appear in the following description.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a nail in which the invention is incorporated; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the proximal end of a femur bone showing a line of fracture through the neck thereof and nails applied to hold the fragments thereof in apposition.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention consists of a nail formed of a straight rod, sharpened at one end to form a .drill point I, and the opposite end squared to form a head 2 to which may be applied a suitable wrench or other tool (not shown) by which to turn the nail angularly upon the axis thereof. A portion of the nail, next adjacent th drill pointed end thereof, is smooth and of uniform diameter, as indicated at 3, and the other portion of the nail, between the smooth portion and the head, is of greater diameter than said smooth portion and is threaded as indicated by 4. The difference in the diameters between the smooth portion or shank 3 of the nail and the threaded portion or stock 4 of greater diameter preferably is equal to the depth of the thread cut on the stock.

In applying th invention, after pro-per apposition ha been established at the line of fracture 5 between the femur head 5 and the upper end 1 of the femur bone, drill holes are initially made, more or less divergently, by the use of a suitable instrument (not shown), of such bore as to snugly accommodate the smooth portion 3 of the nail, the drill holes being located between the trochanters and extending through the neck 8 of the femur into the head 6. Nails of selected appropriate lengths are then introduced into the drill holes and turned as with a wrench applied to the squared head so the threads on the stocks become imbedded in the surrounding bone causing the nails to become progressed inwardly until the smooth shanks are projected into the femur head to the desired extent, thus securing the head in place. By this arrangement, the nails are firmly held from unintentional movement in all directions without necessity of other anchorage.

Ordinarily, in the treatment of fractures of the neck of the femur, by use of nails or pin inserted through the neck into the head of the femur, various expedients are applied in connection with the nails or pins for holding them in place, or, are driven in tightly with the expectation they thereby will remain in place more or less securely only because of frictional contact of the smooth walls of the nails or pins with the surrounding bone parts.

In the present instance, the nails, formed with their threaded stocks and smooth shanks of relatively difierent diameters and of suitable lengths, when the nails are finally in place, their threaded stocks extend only into the upperv end I of the femur while the smooth shanks continue past the fracture line into the head, and in this manner the bone fragments are held in proper apposition while the nails are firmly secured in place.

What I claim is:

1. A surgical nail for bone fractures consisting of a rod one end of which is shaped to provide a drill point and its opposite end being shaped to receive a tool by which to turn the nail, that portion of the rod adjacent said point being smooth and of uniform diameter and the remaining portion between said smooth portion and tool receiving end being threaded and of larger diameter than said smooth portion.

2. A surgical nail pointed at one end and having smooth and threaded portions adjoining each other intermediate it ends both of which are respectively of uniform diameter throughout their lengths, the diameter of said outer threaded portion being greater than that of said smooth portion.

3. A method for treatment of a bone fracture, said method consisting of drilling holes of uniform bores through one bone fragment past the fracture line convergently into the adjacent fragment after apposition of said fragments is established, then inserting in said holes nails each of which has a smooth shank that when in place extends past the fracture line and initially fits the bore of the drilled hole, said nail having a threaded stock tapped into the hole in the distal fragment to secure the nail in place therein.

EARL E. LONGF'ELLOW. 

